Ponchet Swept by Valentova in Quarterfinals of WTA 250 Prague Tournament

The last French player remaining in the WTA 250 Prague tournament, Jessika Ponchet, was the first on court this Thursday. Facing the young Tereza Valentova (18 years old, ranked 106th in the WTA), the 28-year-old Frenchwoman hoped to secure a spot in the semifinals.

Her start to the match was solid, and she quickly led 2-0 in the first set after just nine minutes of play. But that was when the momentum of the match completely shifted.

Powerless to turn things around, the world No. 162—a lucky loser who was reinstated before defeating Stojanovic and Palicova in the first two rounds—ultimately surrendered, losing the final twelve games of the match.

After just over an hour of play, the Czech player managed to overpower Ponchet in front of her home crowd, securing a decisive victory (6-2, 6-0 in 1h08). Valentova, who has won fifteen of her last sixteen matches, advances to the semifinals and will face either Ann Li or her compatriot Marie Bouzkova.

It’s worth noting that at least one Czech player is featured in each of the day’s four matches in the "City of a Hundred Spires." Besides Valentova and Bouzkova, top seed Linda Noskova will later take on her compatriot Katerina Siniakova, while Sara Bejlek will close the day’s schedule against Wang Xinyu.